Time
by Writerchick91
Summary: So I know the whole Spashley Hospital Coma fic has been done to death, but this is a completely different take. I'm begging you to just take a peek. I think you'll all really like it. Based on a true Story. "No one ever relies on overtime. I have to."
1. Prologue

A/N: Based on a true story. Sightly altered, but story lines the same. Some of the quotes aren't perfect and I modified it to fit Spashley...cause you know, who wants to read a dumb love story if its not Spashley? Unless its Sharmen, cause I love me some Sharmen...and not the paper towels. I'll stop now. Enjoy! Please leave a Review!!

**THIS CHAPTER IS THE PROLOGUE. KIND OF LIKE A PROMO. PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKE IT! :)**

SPENCER'S POV:

Time - A simple concept based on the position of the sun. Something we've made up somewhere a long the lines to give us a false sense of security in knowing who and where we are in the vast expanses of our universe. Time. We live and we die by time. And according to the doctor's estimate...her time was up yesterday. The game's gone into overtime. No one ever relies on overtime. I have to.


	2. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE:

SPENCER'S POV:

Tick. Beep. Tock. Beep. Tick. Beep. Tock. Silence. This room is like a vaccum. It sucks you in, cutting you off from the outside world and puts you in your own little bubble. Under any other circumstances, I'd love to be in a place like that with her. But not here. Not like this.

The walls are white. Not beige, not cream, not off-white. White. The floor is tile. Its cold and offers no relief for the times when the emotions in this room peak at such a point that I have to divert my eyes else where. Anywhere but the bed.

The bed is tan with a white pillow. It glows around her like a halo. And every time that thought enters my mind I break down. The sheets are rough and the bed is firm, not rock hard...but not comfortable. I know this from the many times I've crawled into it at night when the distance between the chair and the bed grew too great.

The chair is green. An ugly green. Puke Green. It's uncomfortable, yet I come here every day and I sit and I watch her. Motionless. I have come here everyday for over three months. I will continue to come here until that beeping stops. When the beeping stops, It's over.

It all happens like an explosion. I don't know how I didn't notice the silence. I've become so accustomed to the beeping. I hear it even hours after I've left. When I'm lying awake in my cold bed.

The doctors swarm in like locusts, and before I know it I'm being escorted out of the room by a nurse with light brown, greying hair. Her eyes are brown, chocolate brown like _hers_ but not the same. No. No eyes are as perfect as hers. They are sympathetic, yet pleading. I used to put up a fight. I used to beg to stay. We're in over time. I don't have the energy for that anymore. I just follow her out of the room.

The last thing I hear before the door is closed on me are the words I have dreaded for months.

"Call it," An anonymous doctor calls.

"Time of Death..."

But then...Tick. Beep. Tock. Beep. Tick. Beep. Tock. And so overtime has been extended again. At least for now, they've just bought her more time. They just bought _us _more time.

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you like it so far. Please Review! Love you all! :)


	3. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO:

A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for all your reviews. They're definitely what keeps me going. Special Thanks to OiBlondie. I'm dedicating this chapter to you for your totally awesome review. Hope I don't disappoint : /

SPENCER'S POV:

I'm not allowed back in the room. The anonymous doctor who was so willing to give up on _her_ just moments before stood in front of me.

"I'm sorry miss, she's not stable enough for visitor's." He says coldly.

He still hasn't learned my name and he has been her Doctor since she got here. Therefore, I don't feel the need to tell you his name.

As he turns to walk away I stick my tongue out at his back. Childish, I know...but it's overtime. The same nurse who escorted me out of the room earlier, Nancy, sees this action and smiles. I do my best to return it. It doesn't add up to much.

She waits until Anonymous is well out of sight before she motions me over.

"Five minutes" she whispers as she slides a special visitor's pass across the nurse's station desk, "say goodnight."

Her smile is warm and I appreciate it. I turn to face her room, located right in front of the nurse's desk for the precise reason of today's events. I hesitate to take a step in, as if I'll somehow puncture the bubble she's cocooned in and the world will come crashing down. But that's silly.

I walk in, shuffling slowly across the floor until I reach her bed.

She looks frail. Breakable. I look over her body for the thousandth time that day. Her right arm is broken in three places. It has a cast on it. I dare you to guess what color it is. I bet you only need one. It's white.

She broke two ribs, puncturing her left lung. She just recently starting breathing on her own again. On that same day her heart stopped for the second time. I'm beginning to wonder when her charges will run out.

Her left hand is wrapped due to a large gash in her palm. Minor cuts and bruises cover her legs. But the most obvious injury is to her head. The wraps were taken off last week, but you can still see the stitches. She has a four inch gash across the top of her head, right above the hairline. That's why she's unconscious. That's why she's been sitting here motionless for three months. That's why she may never wake up. That's why even if she does wake up, she'll never be herself. That's where her head hit the window as the drunk driver ran a red light.

I choke back tears as I take her bandaged hand in mine, drawing small circles with the pad of my thumb on the back of her hand. Her eye lids flutter and her eyes start to move quickly back and forth. The doctors say thats a good sign. Its her way of showing that she's still there, while at the same time acknowledging that I'm here with her.

I lean down and place a soft, light kiss on her forehead - just under her stitches. I don't like to cry here. I don't know why. I guess I'd like to think that if she knows I'm here, she'd be able to tell that I'm crying. I need to be strong for her. She doesn't need to listen to me cry.

I turn from her, heading back towards the door where I stop and turn back. Taking one final look at her.

"Good Night Ash. I love you." I whisper. I know she heard it.

I hand Nancy back the pass, and as she reaches to take the pass from me she grabs my hand.

"Hang in there hun, she's going to be just fine." She assures.

I wish I could be as confident as she is. I manage a soft smile.

I head down to the first floor and out to the parking garage. As I get into my car, I begin my trip home on auto pilot. I live close, and I'm thankful for that.

I think about Ashley. She looked good when I kissed her goodnight. Even if her heart did stop for over a minute, she looked good - not as pale as she usually looked lying there. It was odd to see her like that, compared to her usual dark tan. My mom always used to tell me that sick people looked best right before they died. I pushed that from my mind.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. I had other things to worry about.


	4. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

SPENCER'S POV:

4:02pm

As I walked out of my office building I checked my cell phone for the hundredth time that day. Over the course of Ashley's hospitalization, her main nurse, Nancy, and I had grown quite close.

She's a nice woman. Older - in her mid sixties. Sometimes her young grandchildren would come visit her. It was refreshing to watch their bright, playful faces light up in such a dark cold place.

She was always so reassuring, something that I appreciated and never once took for granted. She's a saint. We had developed a closeness, and if at any point through out the day Ashley's medical condition would change she would sent me a text message or call me. It was sweet. One of the many things she did to go be of and beyond the call of duty.

I had never felt my phone vibrate, so to my surprise I had one new text message. I clicked the message, expecting something stupid from AT&T about upgrading my phone. Little did I know I would have to do exactly that, because the phone fell from my hand, shattering into pieces on the pavement as I took off running.

4:21pm

I ran a seven minute mile in high school. It's not slow, but it's by no means fast if you're at all familiar with running. I didn't stop to catch my breathe after a four mile sprint as I exploded through the automatic hospital doors. I slowed as I passed the elevator. The electronic meter above the doors told me the elevator was on the eleventh floor. I didn't have time to wait. I didn't have time to _waste._

I rounded the corner, throwing open the door to the stairs and taking then two or three at a time. I felt as if I was flying. When I reached the third floor, Intensive Care, I burst through the doors, ending up right outside of the nurses station. Nancy was there, she looked at me oddly for a second and then broke into a smile. I finally stopped to take a breath for what felt like the first time in years - bent over, my hands on my knees.

Nancy approached me slowly. Placing a gentle hand on my back but I stood up straight immediately. She handed me a pass.

"Take some time to collect yourself. She's going to need you to be strong." She said reassuringly, "Don't expect her to be herself." She smiled a sad smile before going back to her seat.

I looked at the door. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

A/N: Ashley will probably come in next chapter. :)


	5. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

SPENCER'S POV:

As my hand fell to the door knob, Anonymous rounded the corner and rushed over to me.

"Excuse me miss. I'd like to talk to you before you see her." He says stone faced.

He's given up on fighting to. Right now, only her 'family' is supposed to be able to see her. Her mom died of cancer when she was seven, and her dad is an alcoholic. He rarely comes to visit and when he does he never stays long. He wanted to pull the plug two months ago. It took everything I had to convince him not to. Anonymous knows I'm the only real family she has. Her nineteen year old brother, Aiden, visits as often as possible, but he goes to college at UNC.

I follow the doctor around the corner and into a small dimly lit office. Diplomas and awards adored almost every inch of wall in the small office. I watched as Anonymous sat down in his fine leather chair behind his expensive looking mahogany desk. You could tell from his office that he was a pompous prick. You know the kind. The kind that require money and power and possessions in order to feel superior to those around him.

He gestured to a small, uncomfortable looking chair in front of the desk and as if on auto-pilot I sat down letting out a loud drawn out sigh.

"Now Miss..." He trailed off with a blank stare.

"Carlin" I huffed, "For the thousandth time. My name is Spencer Carlin."

He looked momentarily taken aback by my outburst but he quickly recovered, shuffling files around until he found what he was looking for.

"Right, well Miss. Carlin. I have Ashley's file here," he stated as if telling a small child not to touch the flame on a candle.

_Way to state the obvious doc....now tell me something I don't know. _

"Before you see her...I think that you should know more about her condition." He stated, folding his hands authoritatively on the desk top.

"And what condition would that be?" I asked in a strained voice.

"Well, do to the extent of her injures, Miss. Davies will be making a slow recovery. Her leg was shattered, her ribs broken puncturing a lung, not to mention the blunt force trauma to the Cerebral Cortex." He rambled out.

"I know all of this." Spencer rushed out.

"But what you may not seem to realize Miss. Carson..."

"Carlin!" I sighed.

"Miss. Carlin is that the damage to the Cerebral Cortex was so extensive that Miss. Davies will most likely have severe amnesia from which she may never recover her memories from before the accident." He said as if he was ordering a pizza.

Right at that second...time stopped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. No memories? None at all? This was crazy...insane even. Ashley...Her Ashley wouldn't remember her. Not the day they met, not the day at the beach, not their first kiss, not the first time they said they loved each other...and not that they were engaged - Something no one but the two knew of.

Spencer couldn't breathe. It was as if her whole world had just been ripped apart. Without Ashley, she was nothing.

"Will she...I mean....will she ever regain her memory? Anything at all?" She asked, chocking back tears.

"It doesn't look likely. If anything it will be bits and pieces of her life. Probably child hood memories....nothing within the last five years of her accident. That would be extremely rare in these types of cases."

"May I..." Spencer began but couldn't finish as the tears were finally starting to flow like a river down her soft cheeks. All she could do was point towards the door.

"You may go see her now. Try not to upset her. She won't know you. She's very frightened. We've tried to explain some things to her but we feel a close friend or family member might make more progress."

And without a word, Spencer stood up and walked back out to the waiting room. Unable to contain her tears and knowing she couldn't see Ashley until she had composed herself.

_What am I supposed to do now? _

A/N: Don't hate me *flinches*. I know its been forever since I updated but please don't give up on me or the story. Sorry the chapter is short. A new one is in the works. I promise. PLEASE REVIEW. :D


	6. Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

SPENCER'S POV:

I sat in that waiting room for what felt like hours. Not thinking, not talking, not feeling - I was numb. How is someone just supposed to accept that the love of their life won't remember them or their life together? The answer is - they can't. No one can just accept something like that.

I reached for the box of tissues on the table next to me, pulling out a wad and wiping my tear stained cheeks before I stood up taking slow, deep breathes.

Nancy and I exchanged glances as I walked by the nurses station. Nodding her head gently she gave me two things: assurance and permission. However, as I stood at her door, hand on the door knob I realized that I was no where near prepared for this - I never would be.

I don't know who opened the door shyly, I don't know who took baby steps into the small hospital room, taking in every detail but the bed and its occupant. I don't know who was lying in that bed, and I don't know why I had to watch this scene, but it had nothing to do with me I told myself. This wasn't me, and the beaten girl in that hospital bed, staring at me through a blank gaze was not my Ashley. My Ashley would be smiling: a smile that lit up both a room and my heart. My Ashley's eyes would have something in them that just oozed love. My Ashley would never look at me like that - withdrawn,

I wanted to run over to her bed and scoop her into my arms. I wanted to kiss her, everywhere - anywhere. I wanted to just lie there and hold her. I wanted to tell her how happy I was that she was still alive, I wanted to tell her that I'd found the perfect place for out wedding. I wanted to tell her everything I'd been feeling since the accident, almost six months ago.

She's still staring at me, and I notice that I'm staring back. She's beautiful, even in all the casts and bandages. She'll always be beautiful. When she speaks she startles me.

"Hi," She says simply and I jump.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," She soothes and I swoon.

I don't know why I can't speak but I can't. I've thought of this day for months and I don't know what to say. It's pathetic.

"Um...did you need something or..." She trails off, noticing the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Did I....do something? I'm sorry." She states, immediately trying to make things better.

"Ashley." I breathe but she doesn't say anything.

"Ashley?" She finally repeats, tilting her head to the side. She always does that when she's confused.

"Err....that's your name." I state sadly.

"Oh." She says.

"Well, I guess I'm Ashley. It's nice to meet you..." She says, extending her hand out to me.

"Spencer." I whisper as I bring my hand to meet hers.

She withdraws her hand quickly and I wonder if its because she feels the same electricity that I feel every time I touch her.

"Its nice to meet you Spencer." She smiles and I nod, taking a seat in the same ugly green chair that I've claimed since she got here.

"So Spencer..." She says looking at me.

"Hmm?"

"I don't mean to be rude, you're certainly welcome to stay its just um...did you need something or..." She asks.

That hurt but I tried not to let it show. She wasn't trying to hurt me. I tried to tell myself that, but it hurt nonetheless.

"What do you remember Ash?" I ask, ignoring her question and getting right to the point.

"Not much. I remember my family, some things about them anyway."

"Like what?" I wonder aloud, trying to get a handle on what she does and doesn't remember,

"Well, my mother died when I was little, but I'm not sure exactly how old I was."

"Seven," I say answer a question she didn't ask.

"Oh, well yeah. I don't remember much about my father, I don't think I spent much time with him."

"You didn't." I say.

"And my brother, Adder goes to college at UCSB." She says confidently.

I couldn't help but laugh a bit at that, but when I saw the look on her face I stopped abruptly.

"Um, close. You're brother's name is Aiden, and he goes to UCLA." I correct gently.

"Oh." was all she said as she looked away from me, glancing around the room before looking back to me.

"How do you know all of this?" She asks curiously.

"We're, well um, we're....pretty close." I say, not knowing how to tell her that we were dating, not to mention engaged.

"Oh, so like...best friends?" She asks

"Something like that," I say smiling at her.

"Well, thanks for clearing things up for me." She says smiling.

"All part of the job." I smile.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asks shyly.

"You just did," I point out playfully and she scoffs.

"You know what I mean."

"Of course you can...shoot" I say leaning closer to her.

"Did I um...Did I have like...a boyfriend or something?" She asks and I feel like I'm about to puke.

Does she not remember she's gay...or is she just afraid to say something in front of me? God damn you amnesia.

"Or something." I sigh out, which makes her smile bigger.

She sighs, leaning back into her pillow more to get comfortable.

"Tired?" I question.

"A bit." She yawns out.

"I'll let you sleep, you should get some rest Ash."

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"If you want be to be." I say smiling at her and she simply nods.

"G'night Ash." I say, gently covering her hand with mine as I stand to leave.

"Good night Spencer." She says, falling asleep almost immediately.

I lean over and place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I love you." I whisper.

"Hmm, I love you too Spence." She whispers subconsciously but its all I need to make me cry again.

Its those words that I've been waiting to hear.

A/N: Well, Ashley's awake...now it gets good. R&R!! :)


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